[gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Marcel Romijn]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 2100 bytes --]

Hi,

Last weekend I installed Gentoo 2005.1 (from the universal installation
CD).
I installed Gentoo next to Fedora and used Fedora's grub installation.

The disk partitioning is as follows:
hda1 : (primary) "/boot"
hda2 : (primary) [swap]
hda3 : (extended)
hda5 : (logical) "/"  root for Fedora
hda6 : (logical) "/" root for Gentoo

My grub.conf is as follows:

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this
file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda5
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=30
#splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4)
	root (hd0,0)
	kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
	initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img

title=Gentoo GNAP Development 2.6.12-r6
	root (hd0,0)
	kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/ram0
init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/hda6 udev
	initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6

At the first reboot, the kernel unpacks, etc...
But after a while it stops:

...
vesafb: VBE version: 3.0
vesafb: protected mode interface info at c000:8846
vesafb: pmi: set display start = c00c8897, set palette = c00c88f7
vesafb: pmi: ports = b4c3 b503 d403 d503 cc03 d703 d803 d903 ff03
vesafb: hardware supports DDC2 transfers
vesafb: monitor limits: vf = 200 Hz, hf = 133 kz, clk = 350 MHz
vesafb: scrolling: redraw
(nothing more)


Since 'vesafb' is last message I see, I think something goes wrong with
the graphical adapter.
However, I removed all kernel options that have to do with the
framebuffer and I disabled the grub plash image. It still stalls.

I assume installing Gentoo on an extended partition should not be a
problem?
Maybe the Gentoo install does not work well with Fedora's grub?

Any help and/or pointers are greatly appreciated...!

Marcel Romijn


[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/html, Size: 4913 bytes --]

Re: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[A. Khattri]

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Marcel Romijn wrote:

> vesafb: VBE version: 3.0
> vesafb: protected mode interface info at c000:8846
> vesafb: pmi: set display start = c00c8897, set palette = c00c88f7
> vesafb: pmi: ports = b4c3 b503 d403 d503 cc03 d703 d803 d903 ff03
> vesafb: hardware supports DDC2 transfers
> vesafb: monitor limits: vf = 200 Hz, hf = 133 kz, clk = 350 MHz
> vesafb: scrolling: redraw
> (nothing more)

Im assuming you removed any references to frame-buffers in grub.conf after
building a new kernel without framebuffer support?

Also, did you use genkernel to build your kernel?

You might want to try building the kernel "by hand" instead.


-- 

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Marcel Romijn]

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: A. Khattri [mailto:ajai@bway.net] 
> Sent: Tuesday, 23 August, 2005 16:08
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1
> 
> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Marcel Romijn wrote:
> 
> > vesafb: VBE version: 3.0
> > vesafb: protected mode interface info at c000:8846
> > vesafb: pmi: set display start = c00c8897, set palette = c00c88f7
> > vesafb: pmi: ports = b4c3 b503 d403 d503 cc03 d703 d803 d903 ff03
> > vesafb: hardware supports DDC2 transfers
> > vesafb: monitor limits: vf = 200 Hz, hf = 133 kz, clk = 350 MHz
> > vesafb: scrolling: redraw
> > (nothing more)
> 
> Im assuming you removed any references to frame-buffers in 
> grub.conf after
> building a new kernel without framebuffer support?
> 
> Also, did you use genkernel to build your kernel?

Yes, I used everything as default as possible.
I used 'genkernel' to build my kernel with the default configuration.

I assumed that even though the kernel has framebuffer support built in,
it won't use it if it is not configured as kernel parameter in
grub.conf.
Maybe that was a wrong assumption?

I used to initially have "video=vesafb-tng:mtrr,ywrap,1024x768-32@85" in
the kernel parameters.
However, I removed it when the boot process stalled after "vesafb:
scrolling: redraw"

So it looks like I could go two ways:
- Configure the framebuffer properly in grub.conf.
- Build a new kernel with framebuffer disabled.

I would prefer the first option...

> You might want to try building the kernel "by hand" instead.
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> -- 
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
> 
> 
> 

Marcel Romijn

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Holly Bostick]

Marcel Romijn schreef:
>  
> 
> I assumed that even though the kernel has framebuffer support built in,
> it won't use it if it is not configured as kernel parameter in
> grub.conf.
> Maybe that was a wrong assumption?

Yes, it was. The settings in grub.conf are supposed to override the
kernel settings. But if the framebuffer is set in the kernel, naturally
the kernel is going to start the framebuffer. It is, after all, the
kernel, and the kernel is king of the hill.

If you don't want a framebuffer, remove framebuffer support from your
kernel config.

Unless there's a setting in grub.conf to disable the
previously-initialized framebuffer. If there was, you could use that,
but I don't even know if such a setting exists, and seems like extra
work in any case (enabling the framebuffer just to disable it with an
override that may or may not work).

Hope this helps,
Holly
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Michael Kintzios]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Holly Bostick [mailto:motub@planet.nl] 
> Sent: 23 August 2005 16:19
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1
> 
> 
> Marcel Romijn schreef:
> >  
> > 
> > I assumed that even though the kernel has framebuffer 
> support built in,
> > it won't use it if it is not configured as kernel parameter in
> > grub.conf.
> > Maybe that was a wrong assumption?
> 
> Yes, it was. The settings in grub.conf are supposed to override the
> kernel settings. But if the framebuffer is set in the kernel, 
> naturally
> the kernel is going to start the framebuffer. It is, after all, the
> kernel, and the kernel is king of the hill.
> 
> If you don't want a framebuffer, remove framebuffer support from your
> kernel config.
> 
> Unless there's a setting in grub.conf to disable the
> previously-initialized framebuffer. If there was, you could use that,
> but I don't even know if such a setting exists, and seems like extra
> work in any case (enabling the framebuffer just to disable it with an
> override that may or may not work).

Perhaps adding -nofb to the kernel will help?

Also, why did you change your 1024x768-32@85 to 1024x768-32@60 - did you
change your monitor?
-- 
Regards,
Mick

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[A. Khattri]

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Marcel Romijn wrote:

> Yes, I used everything as default as possible.
> I used 'genkernel' to build my kernel with the default configuration.

Many people have problems when uysing genkernel to build their kernels, so
I will repeat my earlier advice: build the kernel by hand without
genkernel.


-- 

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Marcel Romijn]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 3099 bytes --]


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> From: Holly Bostick [mailto:motub@planet.nl]
> Sent: Tue 8/23/2005 5:18 PM
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org <mailto:gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org> 
> Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1
> 
> Marcel Romijn schreef:
> > 
> >
> > I assumed that even though the kernel has framebuffer support built in,
> > it won't use it if it is not configured as kernel parameter in
> > grub.conf.
> > Maybe that was a wrong assumption?
>
> Yes, it was. The settings in grub.conf are supposed to override the
> kernel settings. But if the framebuffer is set in the kernel, naturally
> the kernel is going to start the framebuffer. It is, after all, the
> kernel, and the kernel is king of the hill.
> 
> If you don't want a framebuffer, remove framebuffer support from your
> kernel config.

Hmmm..., I just followed the installation handbook. Plain, unmodified kernel configuration, which has framebuffer support enabled.
At the chapter of configuring grub, it mentiones that using the framebuffer was optional.
<quote>
If you have configured your kernel with framebuffer support (or you used genkernel's default kernel configuration), you can activate it by adding a vga and/or a video statement to your bootloader configuration file.
</quote>

I tried some kernel parameters in grub.conf:

video=vesafb-tng:mtrr,ywrap,1024x768-32@85
Still stalls.

video=vesafb-tng:mtrr,ywrap,1024x768-32@60
Because I read in a mailing list about vesafb not being able to switch refresh rates (might have been an old mailing list)
Still stalls.

video=vesafb-tng:1024x768-32@60
Removed the mtrr and ywarp in case they were not supported.
Still stalls.

video=vesafb:1024x768-32@60
In case 'vesafb-tng' is not supported but 'vesafb' is.
Still stalls, but messes up the remaining text on the screen.

In the mean time, I have done the same install in VMware.
That install boots (succesfully!) with the "video=vesafb-tng:mtrr,ywrap,1024x768-32@85" setting!! (Although in 640x480, but that's caused by VMware).

So my conclusion is that there is something with my hardware configuration.
I'm using a VIA Epia ME6000 Mini ITX board.

I had Gentoo 2005.0 running on this board, so maybe something changed in this area between 2005.0 and 2005.1?

When I boot this board with the Gentoo 2005.1 LiveCD, it seems to use the framebuffer.
The isolinux.cfg mentions "vga=791", but that doesn't seem to solve my problem as well.

> 
> Unless there's a setting in grub.conf to disable the
> previously-initialized framebuffer. If there was, you could use that,
> but I don't even know if such a setting exists, and seems like extra
> work in any case (enabling the framebuffer just to disable it with an
> override that may or may not work).

-nofb , as suggested by Michael Kintzios, did not help.

> 
> Hope this helps,
> Holly
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org <mailto:gentoo-user@gentoo.org>  mailing list

Thanks for the help so far...

Marcel Romijn



[-- Attachment #2: winmail.dat --]
[-- Type: application/ms-tnef, Size: 5706 bytes --]

RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1

[Marcel Romijn]

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: A. Khattri [mailto:ajai@bway.net] 
> Sent: Wednesday, 24 August, 2005 5:48
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Subject: RE: [gentoo-user] Boot stalls after install of 2005.1
> 
> On Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Marcel Romijn wrote:
> 
> > Yes, I used everything as default as possible.
> > I used 'genkernel' to build my kernel with the default 
> configuration.
> 
> Many people have problems when uysing genkernel to build 
> their kernels, so
> I will repeat my earlier advice: build the kernel by hand without
> genkernel.

...and so I did. Well, almost. I used "genkernel --menuconfig --no-clean
all"

In the config, I disabled framebuffer support and Gentoo now nicely
boots :-)

Thanks all for your replies!!!

Next stop: Java and sound (should be plenty of howto's for them)

Marcel Romijn

> 
> -- 
> 
> -- 
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
> 
> 
> 

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list